Ukulele is a surprise rival to recorders in schools

Good news for parents: the piercing squeaks and tuneless quaverings of the recorder - long the staple of millions of schoolchildren's first nervous forays into music - suddenly have a rival.

The competitor has emerged in the unlikely shape of the ukulele, the four-string guitar last made popular by Sixties pop star Tiny Tim. A growing number of teachers are reporting that the ukulele is taking over as the most popular musical instrument in primary schools.



'I offered the lessons as an experiment, but found the children were so enthusiastic that, within a few months, I had enough players for an entire ukulele orchestra,' said Tim Lewis, a teacher at Holway Park primary school in Taunton, Somerset. A few school concerts later, and Lewis was being contacted by other teachers keen to find out more. 'It was amazing: there was so much interest, not just from across Somerset, but from as far afield as Newcastle and Suffolk.'

To further the ukulele revolution, Lewis created a school pack for teachers, including lesson plans linked to the national curriculum and MP3 audio files of songs and strumming sounds, as well as certificates for the children.

Another fan of the ukulele was the late George Harrison. Here's Sir Paul McCartney performing 'Something' on a ukulele as a tribute to George.